Camping With Rainbow
by ACTASAP
Summary: Sequel to Breakfast With Rainbow. Thunderlane plans on proposing to his girlfriend, Rainbow Dash, on their camping trip but he starts to question if he's worthy of her after a few incidents, including a bear attack.


"Get up lazybones."

Hearing his girlfriend's voice was enough to end Thunderlane's slumber. He blearily opened his eyes to see Rainbow Dash still lying in bed and staring at him in confusion.

"What's with you? Normally it's a struggle to get you up in the morning."

"I guess I'm just excited for our camping trip. Besides, I'm only like that on mornings where I'd rather cuddle with you than go to work, like right now." Thunderlane suddenly wrapped his hooves around his girlfriend and tried to pull her into a kiss. Rainbow put a hoof up to his muzzle.

"As much as I'd love for this to continue, I think now might not be the best time. I'd prefer to hit the trail as soon as possible."

"Aw come on, just a few more minutes," Thunderlane pouted with puppy dog eyes, imitating a foal that was pleading for five more minutes of sleep before he had to go to school.

"Sorry but I really would like to leave soon, but I promise you we'll cuddle later. After all, I got us a sleeping bag that's big enough for two," Rainbow said with a seductive grin as the heat rushed to Thunderlane's face.

"It's great ideas like that that remind me how much I love you."

"Oh really, because I always thought that you loved me for my flank," Rainbow said with smug smile. Thunderlane's face got even redder as it reminded him of when he was younger and he would constantly write about Dash's flank in his diary. However, there was no way she'd know about that so her joke was most likely nothing more than a coincidence.

"Well...uh...I..." Thunderlane's attempt to form a single sentence was failing, finding himself unable to do anything but stutter, and that was something Rainbow couldn't help but laugh at.

"Let me help you with that. I think you were trying to say that while you love this awesome flank I have, you also appreciate all of my good ideas...well let's hear you say it," Rainbow playfully added after Thunderlane just stared at her with the same dopey, lovesick expression he usually gave her.

"While I do love your incredibly hot body, I also love your brain, but that's not all I love about you. I love your loyalty and how you'd do anything to help out your friends whenever they need you, which proves that you have a big heart. I also greatly admire your athletic abilities because when I see that determined look on your face I know that there's nothing you can't accomplish." Thunderlane noticed a small smile on his girlfriend's face, but it quickly faded and was replaced with a stern look.

"That's not what I told you to say, but I guess it will do, for now." Rainbow was doing her best to keep the stern look on her face but eventually she started to crack and the smile returned. Then, without warning, the cyan mare pounced on top of her boyfriend and before he could even react **,** she pressed her lips against his. The two started to make out as they ran their hooves along each other's backs and rolled around on the bed. Both of them wanted to go further but they resisted the urge and broke the kiss.

"I'm going to pack the food and then get something to eat," Rainbow told him, finally getting out of bed.

"I'll join you in a bit, I just need to pack a few more things," Thunderlane waited until his girlfriend left their bedroom and then he started packing.

The last time he had went camping was with his parents, before his mother was pregnant with Rumble, and once Rainbow learned that, she said that was something they needed to fix. She constantly checked the weather schedules, looking for a weekend with perfect weather, and she even purchased a map of the forest so she could plan a trail for them to take. She had put a lot of planning into this trip, and he had a special surprise planned for her.

Thunderlane reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a small black box, opening it to look at the diamond earring inside. She had told him that she had some great memories from her previous camping trip and he was touched that she wanted to create new memories with him. So he wanted to let her know that he wanted to spend the rest of his life creating new memories with her.

They had been dating for two years, and eight months ago they decided they were ready to move in with each other. Sure, they had the typical spats and problems that any normal couple would have; he could be messy at times and she could snore quite loudly. Besides those things, which were just little flaws that both of them could live with, everything in their relationship felt perfect and Thunderlane felt it was time to tie the knot. He had thought about proposing to her last week at Soarin' and Applejack's wedding but he felt that would have taken attention away from his friends on their special day.

After he was done admiring the earring, he closed the box and put it back into the saddlebag. He then scanned the small bookcase that sat in the corner of the room until he found a book on local flora and fauna. He was planning on using this book to help look for some romantic flowers to give to Rainbow to help build up his proposal. Once he was done packing, Thunderlane went downstairs to join his girlfriend and they had a quick breakfast of cereal.

Once they were outside their home, Thunderlane noticed a bit of strange behavior from the athletic pegasus. Her wings were lightly flapping and she was stretching her limbs. It took him a few seconds but he soon realized what she was doing and chuckled to himself and shook his head, feigning disapproval.

"What?" Rainbow asked.

"You're planning on dashing off to the entrance of the forest, as a way of challenging me to a race," Thunderlane explained but Rainbow just rolled her eyes at this and sighed.

"Do you really think that little of me? Sure I'm a competitive athlete, and maybe I can be a little too competitive at times, but this trip is about spending time with you, not against you. I think a nice, relaxing walk with the stallion I love is much more appealing than some stupid onetwothreego!" And with that, Rainbow had dashed off, leaving only a trail of dust, while her boyfriend laughed to himself.

He knew she was going to do that but he also knew that what she had said earlier had a certain amount of truth to it. She was excited for this trip and she really wanted it to be memorable, and Thunderlane was sure his proposal would do just that. He took off for the forest, flying as fast as he could, anxious to start what he believed would be the best weekend of his life.

"Wow we actually made it to the first campsite a little sooner than I thought we would," Rainbow thought out loud. It was late in the afternoon when they had reached their destination.

"I'm also surprised about how little effort and energy it took for us to get here," Thunderlane chuckled to hide his weariness.

Their trek through the forest was fine at first but after a while his limbs started to feel tired and sore. The only break they took was for lunch, which lasted for a half hour, but after that it was more walking until now. There was one point where the dark gray stallion pretended that he had to go to the bathroom just so he could rest his legs. He had tried flying, but his wings were not fully rested from that 'race' they had earlier. Thunderlane was starting to regret not having a bigger breakfast so he'd be more energetic today.

Now that they were at the first campsite, Thunderlane was finally offered a moment of relief. He took a seat on a nearby log, enjoying his well-deserved rest, as Rainbow sat down next to him.

"Well that's because we're both so awesome," the blue pegasus said as she snuggled close to her boyfriend. She never broke a sweat during their hike through the forest, and Thunderlane had to admire that, even if he did find it a bit intimidating. Although, he tried not to let his exhaustion show so maybe she too was hiding her fatigue. However, he doubted that was true since she was just more athletic than him.

Thunderlane let out a content sigh as he gazed at the beauty snuggled up to him. He wrapped his wing around his girlfriend to pull her even closer to him and the two nuzzled for a brief moment before returning to just sitting in silence. He was actually tempted to propose to her now but he would not allow that, he had plans for his proposal and now was not the time. Still, this moment was perfect to the pegasus stallion, but unfortunately it ended once Rainbow freed herself from his wing's grip and got up off the log.

"Well I guess we'd better get this campsite set up. Do you think you can set up the tent while I go gather some firewood?" Rainbow asked him as she pulled out the equipment for the tent.

"You can count on me," Thunderlane told her with a salute.

"I know I can," Rainbow said, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek and then took off in search for the firewood.

Thunderlane was eager to get the tent set up so he could go back to relaxing in this nice weather. It had been quite a while since he had helped his parents pitch the tent when they went camping. He wasn't worried though, obviously Rainbow thought he could handle this task easily, so there was no need to panic. He would be able to get this done in no time.

The dark gray pegasus let out a relaxed sigh as he went back to sitting on the felled log. He was right, the tent was easy to set up and he thought it couldn't have taken him any longer than ten minutes. Now all that was left to do was enjoy himself until Rainbow came back. His ears perked up once he heard his special somepony whistling and in a matter of seconds she arrived back at the campsite.

"Hey there, got enough wood for the fire?"

"Of course, I see you got the tent up," Rainbow responded as she threw a few stones into a circle formation and then dumped the wood into that circle.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Thunderlane asked as he patted himself on his puffed up chest, which Rainbow chuckled at.

"Good to hear, but I still need to see just how awesome of a job you did," Rainbow said, stepping inside the tent. Thunderlane sat patiently, eagerly awaiting praise from the mare he loved. However, when she stepped out of the tent she had a frown on her face, causing the proud stallion's smile to droop.

"I'm sorry but we've got to take this tent down and put it up again. The spot you picked has several rocks and sticks laying on the ground that would tear the floor and be very uncomfortable to sleep on." Just from looking at her eyes, Thunderlane could tell she regretted having to say this to him.

"Do we really have to take it down, couldn't we just move the stones and stick out of the tent?" Thunderlane asked, his question sounding more like a plea.

"That's an option but that would take too long. You also set it up so that the tent is facing east, and since the sun always rises in the east then it will be glaring in our face when we wake up in the morning. I can also see that the rope isn't secure enough around the stake." Rainbow gave the stake a little nudge and the rope came undone, causing the sheet to fall.

"I'm so sorry, I let you down," Thunderlane kept his eyes to the ground, never looking at Rainbow as he apologized, which meant he couldn't see her rolling her eyes at this.

"Oh stop being so over dramatic, honestly, there are times I think you should be dating Rarity. Then again, if you were dating her you'd have to deal with a very angry dragon, and she'd have to deal with a pissed off pegasus that has access to storm clouds." Rainbow laughed as she lightly nudged her boyfriend but Thunderlane's expression remained the same.

"Aren't you upset with me for screwing up this one simple task?"

"No, of course not. All things considered I think you did an all right job. Besides, this is your first time camping since you were a foal so don't beat yourself up over this."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Thunderlane said with a half-hearted smile. Even though he knew Rainbow was right, he just couldn't shake this sense of disappointment that he felt but he tried to ignore it.

"Of course I'm right, now come on, I'll show you what you did wrong."

It didn't take too long for Rainbow to find a good patch of land to put the tent on or to show her special somepony how to tie the rope properly around the stake. Thunderlane kept feeling ashamed and embarrassed while he watched his girlfriend work. She was even able to set up the tent faster properly than he was able to improperly. However, he tried to remind himself that his parents did almost everything on their camping trips when he was younger, and that would keep those feelings at bay, at least for a little while.

After the tent was set up, the pegasus stallion watched as the athletic mare started the fire using some sticks and then the two sat down to eat dinner.

"Now that I've shown you how to pitch the tent, I'm sure you'll be able to do it properly tomorrow," Rainbow told him, after taking a bite of her lettuce sandwich.

"I still can't believe I messed it up that badly," Thunderlane sighed.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad, you just made a few mistakes."

"Well those mistakes resulted in us having to take the tent down and put it back up again."

"True, but at least you were able to learn something from this mistake so you'll make up for it next time."

"Actually, I think I know how I can make up for that," Thunderlane said but Rainbow just shook her head at this.

"I'm not going to take the tent down again just because you have something to prove. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow," Rainbow said with a firm voice.

"No that's not what I meant, I was thinking I could-" Thunderlane stopped himself when he noticed Rainbow's eyes went wide for a brief moment and then a sly smile started to appear on her face.

"Oh I think I know what you mean." Rainbow scooted closer to her boyfriend, giving him a seductive glance. A blush appeared on Thunderlane's face once he realized what she was referring to and he scooted back a little too.

"Uh...no, no that's not what I meant...I mean that would be great and we can do that later if you want, but, uh...I-I meant that I have a surprise for you tomorrow," Thunderlane embarrassingly confessed, his girlfriend's face becoming just as red as his own as she moved back a little but she still had a smile on her face.

"Is that so, and what kind of surprise might that be?" she asked as sweetly as possible.

"If I told you then it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it?"

"I hate when you tease me like that. How about you just tell me what it is and then I'll just act surprised tomorrow?" Rainbow mockingly begged.

"No deal," Thunderlane said firmly yet playfully.

"You're no fun. Well then I guess we better turn in soon then because I'm anxious to find out what this surprise is, but first we need a scary story," Rainbow said in her best spooky voice.

"Well I have heard that no camping trip is complete without one of your famous campfire stories." Thunderlane laughed at the memory of how Rainbow constantly bragged about how she told the best horror stories.

"Just to let you know, when you start shaking in the sleeping bag tonight and find it hard to sleep, just think of that as revenge for not telling me what my surprise is." Rainbow moved to the log across from Thunderlane, she wanted to see his face as she told this story.

"I don't mind, I'll just have to hold on tight to you when I get scared tonight," Thunderlane told her. Rainbow smirked before clearing her throat to begin to story.

"It all happened on a night just like tonight, in a forest just like this one. A pegasus couple was out for a late night stroll when they came across a nearby lake and decided to take a nice, relaxing dip. They behaved the same way as any young playful couple would, they splashed each other, tried dunking each other underwater, and they made out. Just as they were getting swept up in the moment, they heard a terrifying, monstrous roar." Rainbow opened her mouth to let out her best roar, but before she could do that, a real, ferocious roar was heard near their campsite.

The couple gave each other worried glances and stared blankly in the direction the roar was heard from. Unfortunately the only thing they could see was darkness, but that didn't stop them from hearing twigs snapping and leaves being crushed. Thunderlane let out a small gulp and he hoped Rainbow couldn't see how much he was sweating.

A few seconds later the bushes started to rustle, causing the two pegasus ponies to take to the sky and watch with intense eyes as a bear come out of the bushes.

"What do we do now?" Thunderlane asked, doing his best not to panic.

"We just wait up here until he passes through, the campfire will probably scare him away anyway," Rainbow said as they watched the bear sniff around their campsite.

The bear took one look at the fire and a clear sense of fear was present on its face. It started to slink away but then it noticed two unattended saddlebags and it decided to take a look inside as long as no pony was around. It took a peek inside Rainbow's saddlebag first and found a bunch of food inside, much to the bear's delight as it took a bite out of a sandwich.

"Oh great, he's eating our food. Well I guess we'll have to find someway to chase him away. Search the trees, maybe we could find something to throw at him, and then we could..."

Rainbow kept going on about the plan but the gray pegasus wasn't listening, he just kept staring at the bear intensely. At the moment the bear was going through Dash's saddlebag, but it wouldn't be long before he started going through his saddlebag, which had the earring. There was a chance that the bear might not find his bag that interesting after seeing that there was no food inside, but Thunderlane didn't like leaving this up to chance. He had to do something and he had to do it soon.

"Are you listening to me?" Rainbow asked with an annoyed tone but Thunderlane dashed off towards the bear.

"Hey, get back here!"

The mare's shout immediately drew the attention of the bear who turned around to see Thunderlane land just a few feet away from him. The bear thought about fleeing but the food he had just eaten was too good to let some pony scare him away.

"Hey gruesome, step away from those saddlebags, now!" Thunderlane used his best intimidating tone but the only response his opponent gave was a growl. The determined stallion picked up a nearby stone and threw it at the wild animal, hitting him right on the head. The bear let out a mighty roar and charged at Thunderlane, but the pegasus immediately took to the sky. The bear tried to stand on his hind legs to try to reach the stallion's height, but he just flew backwards, taunting the woodland animal by sticking his tongue out.

"Look out!" Thunderlane heard his girlfriend shout, but before he could react, his head collided with a nearby tree branch, knocking him to the ground.

The pegasus looked up to see the bear standing over him, showing off his sharp claws and ferocious teeth. The stallion did the first thing that came to his mind, scream and cower before him. However, before the bear could attack him, Rainbow rammed into the animal with all her might.

The bear quickly recovered and tried to swipe at the cyan mare but she was too fast for him. Thunderlane watched in awe as his girlfriend expertly dodged all of the animal's attacks.

"Don't worry, I'm coming to help you." Thunderlane quickly lifted himself up and ran to help Rainbow, but he wasn't looking where he was going and ended up tripping on a rock, falling flat on his face.

Once the bear began to tire, Rainbow took this opportunity to take to the air and flew as fast as she could, ramming into his stomach. She rammed into him with enough force to actually knock him over. The wild animal wasted no time fleeing from the campsite and the strong pony who inhabited it.

After he was gone, Rainbow quickly turned around and shot Thunderlane a glare that gave him goosebumps. "What the buck where you thinking?!"

Thunderlane did not respond, he just stared at the ground with a guilty expression that agitated Rainbow even more, so she stomped her hoof on the ground to get his attention. "No seriously, what the buck made you do something as stupid as what you just did?!"

"I-I..." Any attempts Thunderlane made to form a cohesive sentence was impeded by his stuttering.

"Well, spit it out!" Thunderlane was taken aback by Rainbow's volume and tone. She never talked to him like this, at least not since they started dating.

"...I just wanted to make sure the bear didn't get anymore of our food." He couldn't tell her about the earring, not when she was this mad. That was the only excuse he could think of but judging from the daggers in Rainbow's eyes, she wasn't happy about that excuse.

"Well then why weren't you actually paying attention when I was going over plans to lure the bear away from our campsite?! If you had just told me about what you were going to do then I might have been OK with it, I could have even helped you out. That was your first stupid mistake, your second was not looking where you were flying and crashing into that tree branch!"

"I-I….I'm sorry," was all Thunderlane said. It was the only thing he could think of saying.

Rainbow still look agitated as she opened her mouth to speak but no words were coming out. She made a few more attempts to speak but she failed to make any sound other than an annoyed grunt. Finally she gave up and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm going for a walk in the woods, I'll be back soon," Rainbow told him, without any emotion in her voice.

Thunderlane watched with somber eyes as she walked deeper into the woods. He desperately wanted to run after her and join her and explain why he did what he he did, but he forbade himself from doing so. He had a lot of thinking to do by himself.

Thunderlane was lying in the sleeping bag, staring blankly into space. The only sound that could be heard was the chirping from the crickets, but the stallion prefered the quiet as he reflected back on today's events. Before he could get lost in his thoughts, Rainbow finally came back from her walk and entered the tent.

"Hey," Rainbow greeted him and he noticed a somber tone in her voice.

"Hey," Thunderlane greeted back with a voice that even Fluttershy would think was timid. Rainbow crawled into the sleeping bag with her boyfriend and snuggled with him. The gray pegasus wrapped a hoof around her but his face remained expressionless.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I reacted back there, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It's just…..well, you know how I'm the bravest, most fearless pony in all of Equestria?" Rainbow asked, but Thunderlane only responded with a silent nod.

"Well today was one of the few times I did experience fear. I was scared I was going to lose you and that's a feeling I never want to feel again. So I guess I overreacted a bit," she admitted with a shaky voice.

"It's OK," Thunderlane whispered, still with no emotion in his voice or on his face.

Rainbow knew her boyfriend well enough to realize that something was bothering him. She also had a pretty good idea as to what was upsetting him so much, a bruised ego. Whenever she had a bruised ego it always made it worse whenever somepony mentioned it at all, so she needed to find some other way to cheer him up. She tried to nuzzle him but she couldn't get him to nuzzle her back.

"Come on, how about a little more affection," Rainbow said in a sultry voice. However, Thunderlane's only response to that was to gently run his hoof across her back, but it wasn't enough to deter her. The athletic pegasus crawled on top of her boyfriend, giving him a suggestive glance but he still wore his blank expression.

"I was hoping for something a little more exciting." Rainbow batted her eyes just like she had seen Rarity do whenever she flirted with other stallions, and more recently with Spike.

"I'm actually feeling a little tired so I-" Before the deadpan stallion could continue his response, he was interrupted by a kiss from his special somepony. It took him a few seconds but Thunderlane finally started to kiss her back, but Rainbow noticed that this kiss had barely any trace of love and passion, unlike the kiss the two shared earlier this morning, so she broke the kiss.

"Actually, I think I'm tired too." Rainbow let out a dejected sigh as she rested her head under his chin, using his chest as a pillow. She knew she had to say at least something encouraging to her beloved before going to sleep, but she couldn't think of what to say.

"...Tomorrow is a new day, I'm sure it will be better too," she finally decided to say and then allowed herself to drift off to sleep, leaving Thunderlane with his thoughts once again.

When Rainbow came back to the tent he had expected her to scold him again for his stupidity earlier, and quite frankly he felt he deserved it. So he was surprised when she actually apologized to him although he really shouldn't have been. She had been so caring and patient with him ever since they first started dating. Any stallion would have been lucky to have Rainbow Dash as their girlfriend, yet she chose him. Although, he was now starting to wonder if he truly deserved her.

She really was the toughest, the bravest, and the coolest pony in all of Equestria and he couldn't even come close to matching her in any of those attributes. He couldn't set up a tent, he got tired just walking to the campsite, and worst of all he embarrassed himself trying to take on that bear by himself. He still couldn't believe he actually screamed like a little filly when that bear was standing over him. He could have flown away and led the bear away from their campsite or he could have stood his ground and attacked the bear like Rainbow did, but no, he had to act like a coward.

Thunderlane couldn't help but be reminded of how insecure he felt when he and Rainbow were teenagers and he had to constantly listen to her talk about how great Soarin' was. Sure, he was jealous of the praise his crush was giving to a stallion she didn't even know, but it also made him feel intimidated by the Wonderbolt. At first he tried to be that stallion, he worked out more often than usual and joined the same athletic teams as her, but she still wouldn't notice him. Finally, he gave up on the idea of a relationship between them, thinking that he'd never be the type of stallion that Dash truly deserved. This time, however, Thunderlane was not going to give up that easily.

She was right, tomorrow was another day and he was determined to prove himself to her. He may have embarrassed himself today, but tomorrow he was going to show Rainbow just how awesome and masculine he could be.

Thunderlane leaned his head down and gave his special somepony a quick kiss on the forehead, then he whispered "For you Dashie, I'd do anything."

Rainbow could hear the sound of birds chirping, letting her know that morning had come, but she tried to ignore them and go back to sleep for at least five more minutes. It took a few seconds but eventually, the cyan mare realized that there was an absence of warmth in the sleeping bag. She opened her groggy eyes and immediately noticed that her boyfriend was no longer snuggled up next to her. She quickly jerked her head up and began frantically looking around the tent for any traces of him.

"Thunderlane?" she called out. Then, as if to answer her call, she was able to hear him grunting outside of the tent. The mare crawled out of the tent to see Thunderlane doing wing-ups just a few feet away.

"Oh hey Rainbow, I didn't realize you were up, I hope my workout didn't wake you," he said with a smile.

"Why are you doing wing-ups?"

"I always like to work out a little after I wake up. It's a good way to stretch those muscles." Thunderlane said while flexing his hoof, puzzling Rainbow since he was exercising his wings.

"But I'm the one who usually has to wake you up in the morning and I've never seen you do these workouts," Rainbow reminded him.

"...W-welI I don't do it right when I get up, I usually work out while you're in the shower, or sometimes when I have a break from work."

Rainbow was about to question this some more but then she stopped herself. She remembered how badly his pride was bruised yesterday, so maybe it would be best if she played along with this charade to give him a confidence boost.

"I guess that would explain how you got so big and strong," Rainbow said in a sensual voice as she caressed his chest with her hoof. A trick she had learned from Rarity when asking her for romantic advice.

"I would have to be to date a tough mare like you." Rainbow Dash felt flattered by that compliment, but something about it just didn't feel right.

"It's just nice to see you in a more cheerful mood after that bear attack last night." Rainbow commented.

"Y'know, this camping trip didn't give me much time to do any of my exercise routines yesterday. I bet if I had done them then I wouldn't have been so sloppy and I would have sent that bear packing all by myself," Thunderlane stated and Rainbow nodded, feigning agreement. She made a mental note to be careful about discussing the bear that embarrassed him.

"Well thankfully he didn't get all of our food, but we barely have enough left for breakfast. So we'll have to gather some more later tonight. After we're done eating we'll take down the tent and then we can start moving again," Rainbow told him as she took out two apples from her saddlebag.

"All right, but this time I'll lead us to our next campsite," Thunderlane suggested.

"Maybe it's best if I lead the way, after all, I do know this forest better than you do," Rainbow pointed out.

"It's fine, I took a look at your map earlier so I know how to get there. It was actually pretty easy to figure out," Thunderlane said with his head held high.

"Before we discuss this any further, help me take down this tent," Rainbow said to give her time to think about her boyfriend's request, while he helped her with the tent. She still thought that it was best if she led the way to their next campsite, but she questioned if that was best for Thunderlane. If she wanted to help repair his pride then she'd have to have more faith in him.

"OK, if you think you can lead the way then I believe in you," she said after they finished putting away the be honest, seeing him act this sanguine really did make her believe that he could do it. Thunderlane responded with a smug smile as he put on his saddlebag.

"Well then get your saddlebag and then let's go, we can eat our apples on the way."

Rainbow let out a sigh as she completed her dull task of collecting some wood for the fire and some food for dinner tonight. She had wanted to set up the tent but Thunderlane insisted on doing that, claiming he needed to 'fix his mistake from yesterday'. She wouldn't have let him set up the tent yesterday if she knew that he was going to take failure this hard. The only reason she had him pitch the tent yesterday was because she thought he would get bored gathering firewood, like she usually does. However, she knew that putting up the tent correctly would make her special somepony feel much better about himself and for that she was more than willing to do this boring job.

As long as he remembered his mistakes from yesterday than he should do fine with the tent. After all, he was able to lead them to the campsite before nightfall, and he only got lost once. Although he refused to admit that they were lost, he claimed they were just taking a short detour for sight seeing. However, it didn't take him long to find his way back to the main path and in the end he got them here with little trouble and that's what mattered.

Once she arrived back at the campsite, she spotted Thunderlane admiring the tent he had just set up. He turned around and immediately spotted his girlfriend, giving her a satisfied smirk.

"As you can see, I did a pretty good job at setting up the tent, I'd dare say it's perfect," he said with his head hung high.

"...Yeah, it does look perfect," Rainbow agreed after giving the tent a quick glance.

Actually, Rainbow didn't look at the tent long enough to give it a proper inspection. However, she thought it would be better if he thought she did and believe that he really did do everything perfectly. Besides, she could just check the tent later when he was distracted and fix any mistakes without him noticing.

"Really?...I mean of course it does. Yesterday's screw-up was just a warm-up for today. Speaking of great jobs, it seems like you gathered quite a lot of firewood."

"Yeah and I even got some flowers and berries that we can have for dinner tonight. I'll start the fire and then we can eat." Rainbow dumped the wood into a ring of rocks she made before she went out to get the wood.

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe I could start the fire tonight."

"Sure, I'll get the matches." Rainbow said as she went through her saddlebag.

"I think I can start this fire without using a match," Thunderlane told her but Rainbow gave him a skeptical look.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea,"

"Why not? I did a good job with leading us here and setting up the tent didn't I?" Thunderlane pointed out with a tiny hint of frustration in his voice.

"Yes you did, but neither of those tasks have anything to do with starting a fire and it's much more complicated to start a campfire without any matches," Rainbow replied. Thunderlane felt a little hurt that his girlfriend didn't seem to have much confidence in him starting a fire.

"Don't worry, I've helped start a fire with sticks the other times I went camping so I can do this now," Thunderlane assured her but Rainbow cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You mean whenever you use to go camping with your parents, as a foal?" Rainbow reminded him.

"Exactly, and if I could get a fire started as a foal with my parents' help then I'm sure I can do it on my own as a full-grown stallion," Thunderlane said as he patted himself on the chest. Rainbow just rolled her eyes and chuckled at this.

"All right, go ahead and give it a shot." Rainbow reached into her saddlebag and withdrew a long, bent stick with a string tied around its ends and another stick attached to that string.

"Thank you for giving me the bow and the drill." He said as his special somepony handed him the tool. Thunderlane made sure to say the name of the stick instruments, just to show that he knew their names. Though admittedly, he only knew those terms because one of his friends at work told him their names while they were discussing this camping trip. Still, he thought just knowing the names would prove to Rainbow that he knew what he was doing.

Thunderlane bent over the ring of rocks with the firewood in the center. With the bow in his mouth and his hoof holding the drill on top of the wood, he began to move the bow back and forward, causing the drill to spin. The gray stallion did this for almost a minute before he started to get frustrated over the lack of smoke. He started moving the bow even faster to try to create more friction. However, it only caused the drill to slip from his hoof and the bow to fall out of his mouth.

"Maybe I could-" Rainbow was about to give a suggestion before Thunderlane glared at her.

"I can do this OK, just give me another chance," He said with a slightly raised voice while picking the bow and drill up again. This time he tried holding the drill down firmer and tightening his grip on the bow. Thunderlane tried spinning it at a fast pace again but he still wasn't getting any smoke, nor were any of the sticks glowing red. After a while, the male pegasus could start to feel pain in his hoof due to the friction but he choose to ignore it and continue to work at a fast pace. Unfortunately his fatigue got the better of him and he was forced to drop the bow and drill, as he shook the hoof in pain.

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh as she approached her boyfriend and placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "You did your best and I really admire your efforts, but I think it's time to use the matches."

"I know I can do this, just give me one more chance!" Thunderlane didn't even wait for her to respond, he just went back to spinning the drill as fast as he could.

Rainbow never saw her boyfriend this determined, she would've found this attractive if it wasn't for the desperation he also displayed. She really hoped he would get the fire started soon, not just out of her own impatience, but also because this failure was damaging his recovering ego. She wanted to help him but she didn't think he'd accept it due to his stubborn pride, although she couldn't blame him for that, she'd probably act the same way if she was in his position.

However, an idea came to Rainbow's mind as she stared at the matches for a second. She quickly lit a match and then took to the sky, being careful not to make a sound as she flew over the fire wood. After dropping the match, the cyan mare quickly dashed back to the ground before the match even fell on the wood. With the fire finally lit, Thunderlane quickly pulled away to avoid burning the bow and drill, or himself for that matter.

"Nice job with the fire, you really proved me wrong about that." Rainbow wrapped her hoof around him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. However, she was concerned about the stoic look on his face.

"Yeah I guess I did. Although it's interesting, I didn't see any smoke coming from the wood, yet the fire still started," Thunderlane pointed out.

"Well, I guess you're just that good." Was all Rainbow Dash could think of saying.

"Maybe, or maybe you dropped a match and that's what really started the fire." Thunderlane glared at her as he spoke.

"What makes you think that?" Rainbow asked, feigning innocence.

"I thought I saw something drop onto the firewood and the next thing I know, the fire is suddenly lit. I wanted to believe I started it, I really did, but I just couldn't shake my suspicions, and that's when I noticed the match among the wood. Why couldn't you just let me do this on my own, why did you have to be impatient, why...oh, who am I kidding, I wasn't going to get that fire lit. It probably would have taken me hours to get it started, you did the right thing." Thunderlane hung his head low and took a seat on the nearby log.

Thunderlane was content to just sit there and sulk, but he suddenly felt a cyan wing gently lift his head up and he saw his girlfriend give him a loving look. It was a look that Thunderlane couldn't help but grin at.

"I know you think I was born awesome, and to be honest I was, but that doesn't mean I haven't experienced my own share of failures. Don't forget, you had trouble setting up the tent yesterday and today you did a great job, so maybe tomorrow you'll be able to start the fire," Rainbow pointed out.

"Well tomorrow is our last day here, so I have to be able to do it by then. I have to!" Thunderlane spoke with pure determination, but Rainbow could tell from his last line that he was trying to hide some nervousness.

"While it's nice to see you being enthusiastic but try not to get bent out of shape over it," Rainbow advised, reminding her of how much of a wreck she was when she was nervous about the young flyers competition.

"I know, it's just very important that I do this, OK."

"Why? Don't forget, you were able to lead us here and pitch the tent. So don't let this minor failure spoil your earlier success. It's no big deal," Thunderlane shot her a look of disbelief after that last part.

"Yeah it is a big deal. I don't think you understand how important this is," Thunderlane made his frustration evident with his tone of voice. Rainbow was taken aback by her boyfriend raising his voice to her, something he rarely did.

"You're right, I don't understand. So why don't you explain to me what's so important about you starting a fire!" Rainbow demanded as she stared at him with intense eyes. She wasn't going to tolerate his behavior if he was going to act like this.

"I just need to prove I can do this." Was the only explanation Thunderlane gave her, while mimicking the angry look she was giving him.

"Why, what would it prove?" Rainbow wanted a much better answer than that.

"It would prove I deserve to be with you!" Thunderlane shouted so loud he had to take a few deep breaths. His expression softened back to a look of somber and regret. He was expecting her to yell back at him but she just stared at him, as if she was processing what he just said. If Rainbow wasn't going to talk then he was going to continue this conversation.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you like that. I've just been feeling very stressed out since yesterday's incident with the bear. Sure, I was embarrassed by the tent but the bear attack is what really made me start to question if I was worthy of you. You're an amazing mare, you're tough, beautiful, brave, not to mention the best flyer in all of Equestria, and I'm none of those things. You deserve nothing but the best and this trip has made me realize that that's not me." Thunderlane let out a depressed sigh as everything was silent again. This time, however, the silence was broken by Rainbow Dash's snicker, which soon became actual fits of laughter.

"What's so funny?!" Thunderlane asked, more than annoyed at Rainbow for laughing after he just poured his heart out to her. The cyan pegasus forced herself to cease laughing just so she could answer him.

"I'm sorry but the idea of you not deserving me is just too ridiculous not to laugh at. I'm actually surprised I didn't realize this earlier, especially since there were times where I felt like I wasn't good enough for you," Rainbow admitted, causing Thunderlane to stare at her as if she had just grown a second head.

"You're kidding me, right? Did you not hear me before when I was listing all your amazing qualities, how could you possibly think you don't deserve me?"

"Yeah, I must admit, I'm an awesome flyer and an awesome girlfriend, but I was never that awesome at being your friend. I used to torment you as a foal, I teased you, I pranked you, and who knows how many buckets of sand I dumped on your head?"

"Thirty-seven," Thunderlane answered. Now it was Rainbow's turn to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"...How did you-nevermind, my point is I treated you terribly and when I think back to all the horrible things I've done to you; it makes me wonder why you'd even want to be in a relationship with me," Rainbow confessed with sincerity in her voice.

"I can't hold that against you, we were only kids. Besides, you've told me that you only did those things to me because you had a crush on me and you didn't know how to deal with your feelings. For that, I can forgive you," Thunderlane assured her as he wrapped his hoof around her and rubbed her back.

"That may be, but that also doesn't excuse how I treated you as a teenager too. Remember all the fights we had with each other, or how we use to act so cold and distant with each other? All of that happened because I was too stupid to realize that you had a crush on me too and that hearing me gush over Soarin' upset you. I never even apologized for any of that, even when we became friends again, so I know this is long overdue but I'm sorry." Thunderlane looked deep in her magenta eyes as she spoke and he could tell that she was fighting some tears. He wrapped his other hoof around her and pulled her into a strong, loving embrace.

"It wasn't all your fault, I shouldn't have acted so moody about it back then either. What's important now is that we're happy together and that I love you," Thunderlane softly whispered as he caressed her back. Rainbow smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I love you too, and that's why I don't care if you can't start a fire, or pitch a tent. Although, you can't act so reckless if a bear wanders onto our campsite and you definitely need to watch where you're flying. What I care about is are you the same loving, supportive, fun stallion I fell in love with." Just as Thunderlane was about to say something, Rainbow put a hoof to his lips to silence him.

"No, I've spent a lot of time listening to you constantly praise me, now it's your turn. Just seeing all the effort you put forth today, just to prove your worth to me, reminds me of one of the reasons I love you, you've got spirit. As you've seen, there are some things that you're going to try that you're not going to be good at, but I know that even if you fail, you gave it your all. That means a lot to me, you mean a lot to me. You were one of the few ponies who helped me after my breakup with Soarin, and when doing so, it never felt like you were only doing it because it might make me date you. It felt like you were genuinely concerned about me like any friend would be, even though I usually picked on you, like when I accused you of slacking off when you were really getting sick. That's what led to me asking you out and I'm really glad I did because you've been an all around awesome boyfriend, and you're one of the few ponies who can compete with me athletically. Sure you may never win any of our competitions but you've already won something very important, my heart." Thunderlane had a smile on his face the entire time Rainbow spoke. However, he had to quirk an eyebrow after seeing her acting this emotional.

"When did you get so sappy? I mean I'm touched, but that was borderline cheesy," Thunderlane playfully giggled, causing her to blush. Then again, that was one of the many perks of dating Rainbow Dash, you got to see sides of her that she wouldn't dare show in public.

"What can I say, I guess some of your romantic qualities have rubbed off on me." The two immediately drove for each others lips and they shared a passionate kiss. Rainbow let out a soft moan, joyful that the passion he had kissed her with yesterday morning had finally returned. After a minute the couple finally broke their kiss, content to sit there in silence as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I don't know about you but being that emotional really works up an appetite," Rainbow finally spoke.

"I could eat."

"Like I said, I got some berries and some flowers for dinner tonight when I was out getting the firewood. They're in my saddlebag, go take a look and pick out what you want first." Thunderlane lifted himself off of the log and looked inside his girlfriend's saddlebag. However, a look of concern came over his face as he gazed at the food Rainbow had gathered. He pulled out some of the berries and held them in his hoof so he could inspect them further.

"I think these berries are poisonous," Thunderlane told her.

"What makes you think that?" Rainbow asked with sincere curiosity and not a hint of malice. Thunderlane went over to his saddlebag and pulled out the book on local flora and fauna and started to flip through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He took the book over to her and showed her a page that contained an image of the same type of berries she had collected.

"I was reading through this book the other day so I recognized the berries in your saddlebag and I thought I remembered the book mentioning that they were poisonous." Thunderlane talked while Rainbow skimmed the page, but it didn't take her long to see that the berries were indeed poisonous. The cyan mare gave the book back to her special somepony, her face portrayed a mix of fluster and guilt.

"It's a good thing you caught that. Sorry, but at least we still have the flowers to eat," she spoke with a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry but I've got to look at those flowers now too, just to be safe." Thunderlane spent several minutes inspecting the flowers and flipping through the pages of the book before he turned to his girlfriend and gave her an uneasy stare. He didn't need to stay anything, she already understood what this meant.

"Really?! They're all poisonous?" she desperately asked, but he only answered with a slow nod. Rainbow buried her face in her front hooves as she let out a long sigh. "Wow, I really screwed that one up. I must really look stupid huh?"

"Not at all, in fact, if I hadn't read that book recently then I would have never known they were poisonous too. It was an honest mistake," He told her as he placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, and she in turn smiled warmly at him.

"Just like how I'm not upset with you for not being able to start the fire. That's one of the great things about our relationship, we complement each other. Sure I was able to start a fire with ease and you couldn't, but you're obviously better at identifying edible plants and berries than I am. Together, we're like one super awesome outdoors survival expert."

Thunderlane knew that Rainbow didn't like to admit defeat or that another pony was better than her at she lost a game to him or some other pony she would just playfully claim 'I let you win'. It was just her way of accepting her loss without letting it affect her pride. So he truly considered it an honor when he heard her admit that he was much better than her at something.

"Well then let's get back out there and find some non-poisonous food so I can put this book to good use." It felt good to hear himself speak with genuine confidence, rather than just try to act confident like he had been doing all day. Rainbow gave him a satisfied smirk as she lifted herself off of the log.

"All right but it's starting to get dark so we might have to bring some matches with us." If it wasn't for the illumination of the fire, then she probably wouldn't have been able to read the book earlier.

"No need, I brought a flashlight with me," Thunderlane said, taking a flashlight out of his saddlebag. Her face portrayed a mixture of astonishment and awkwardness.

"Wow, I can't believe I didn't even think of bringing that. Looks like you've saved this trip twice in one day." Rainbow congratulated her boyfriend with a pat on the back and Thunderlane responded with a blush and a shy smile.

"It's like you said, we're a team. We've got each other's backs, even when one of us is too stubborn to admit that he needs help because he's afraid of not being manly enough," Thunderlane bashfully admitted. Rainbow pulled her boyfriend closer to her and nuzzled him.

"And it's nice to know that you've got my back during some of my more forgetful and embarrassing moments. Now come on, let's go get some food."

They didn't have to wander far from their campsite, there was a nice variety of plants and berries in the area. Since Thunderlane wasn't a picky eater, he let Rainbow pick out the plants she found most appetizing, then he would flip through the book to identify if they were poisonous or not. With that display of teamwork it only took them a half hour before they returned with enough food to last them the night and tomorrow morning.

After he had finished his dinner, Thunderlane placed the book and the flashlight back in his saddlebag, but he also withdrew the small jewelry box. He tucked the box under his wing to hide it and then he gracefully trotted over to her. It was time for her surprise.

"It's such a beautiful night tonight. Would you care to join me on a stroll through the woods?" He asked a blushing Rainbow as he offered her his hoof to help her off of the log she was sitting on.

"How could I refuse such an enticing invitation?"

It was a dark and quiet night, with the main source of illumination coming from the fireflies in the area. Some ponies might have found this a little eerie but to Rainbow, this just made the walk more romantic. No words were exchanged as they walked, instead they let their fanciful eyes and the occasional blush do the talking for them. With everything that had happened today and the night before, this romantic moment felt like a much needed breath of fresh air for the cyan pegasus.

After a while, Rainbow started to notice something peculiar. They walked side-by-side but every now and then Thunderlane started walking faster right before he'd make a turn, and when she caught up with him he would resume walking at his normal pace. It was almost as if he was trying to lead her somewhere. She thought about asking him where he was taking her and if this was just another attempt to look macho in front of her, but she trusted him and knew that he had given that up. So she decided to be patient and just enjoy their nice walk until they arrived at whatever destination Thunderlane had planned.

After eight minutes, they had stopped in front of some shrubs and Thunderlane took a quick peek over them and when he returned he had a wide grin on his face. "Remember when I said I had a surprise for you?"

"...Yeah." In all honesty, her boyfriend's promise of a surprise had slipped her mind after the bear attack, but he didn't need to know that.

"Well here it is." Thunderlane peeled the shrubs back a little so they could get through them. Rainbow let out a small gasp when she saw a canoe sitting in the lake, tethered to a stake planted in the ground.

"You brought that up here?"

"Yeah, with a little help from Bulk Biceps. Remember the other day when I had to do some overtime for work? Well we were actually bringing it down here. It also gave me time to familiarize myself with the forest, which is actually how I knew how to get to the campsite today. Also, while you were out gathering food, I did a quick check-up on the canoe to make sure it was still here and that I still knew the way, after I pitched the tent of course." He admitted as he shuffled one of his forehooves.

"I thought you might enjoy a nice, romantic canoe ride along the lake. So what do you think?" Rainbow answered him with a tackling hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I think you should stop talking so we can enjoy your surprise." Rainbow released her special somepony and rushed over to the canoe and picked up an oar.

"Allow me to do all the rowing. After all, this surprise is for you so why don't you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride," he said after joining her in the canoe. Rainbow gave the oars to him and then leaned back and rested her forehooves behind her head. Thunderlane removed the stake and put it under his seat, along with the jewelry box, before they finally took off.

Thunderlane noticed that time seemed to just fly by whenever he was lovingly staring at who he thought was the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. He was especially in awe whenever the moonlight shone directly below her, which he believed made her look even more radiant. The two pegasi used this time to discuss some of their favorite romantic, and non romantic, memories of each other.

Everything about this ride had been perfect except for one thing, he still hadn't popped the question yet. Though he had his doubts at first, this trip had proven to him, though not in ways he expected, that he was good enough for Rainbow and worthy of being called her husband. So why was he so nervous about proposing to her? That question bogged his mind, but he knew he had to cast those feelings aside. He was not going to let a few nervous emotions stop him from proposing to the mare he loved.

Thunderlane spotted a nearby flower field that he thought would be a perfect setting for what he had to do, since he had forgotten to gather some flowers earlier. Once he had pulled up to the field Rainbow started to get out but Thunderlane held his hoof out, signaling her to halt.

Thunderlane took a deep breath, it was now or never. He reached his hoof behind him to grab the jewelry box as he tried to think of something romantic to say before finally asking her the big question.

"…..Y'know, I used to daydream all the time about us being together when I was younger, and now that we're finally in a relationship, it has far surpassed anything I could have imagined back then. These past two years have been some of the best of my life and it makes me anxious to see what the remaining years hold for us. Rainbow…" Thunderlane froze for a brief second when he felt the box fall out of his rattled hoof, but it wore off as soon as he heard a small splash.

"Nononono," Thunderlane said to himself as he frantically searched the water for any traces of where the earrings could have fallen.

"What's wrong?" Rainbow asked as she placed a calming hoof on his shoulder. Thunderlane didn't realize how hectic he must have appeared until he saw the concern in her eyes.

"I lost something, something important, that I need to find immediately."

"Maybe I can help, what did you lose?" Thunderlane froze when she asked this. What was he supposed to say 'I accidentally dropped the engagement earring I was going to give you, by the way, will you marry me,' not the most romantic proposal.

"...I…..uh…..well…..it's a….." He continued to stutter as a way of stalling for time until he finally came to a decision. "I'll be right back."

Before Rainbow could say a single word, Thunderlane dove into the water to look for that box. He was very thankful for the moonlight's extra illumination, which made it much easier to scan the bottom of the lake and soon enough, he found the jewelry box. Within seconds after finding the earrings, he heard another splash so he quickly turned around and saw his girlfriend had dove in after him. She grabbed him to pull him out of the water and he helped by swimming in sync with her. The two pegasi were gasping for breath when they resurfaced and climbed back into the canoe. They sat in silence, slightly shivering as the warm breeze dried them and they waited to catch their breath.

"Now the last time you did something this stupid I yelled at you, but I understand that I might have been a bit harsh. So this time I'm going to give you a chance to explain your actions before I call you an idiot," Rainbow spoke with a stern, yet compassionate voice. Thunderlane had not recovered his breath yet, but after what happened he didn't think there was a way to build up a romantic proposal. There was only one thing to do; this wasn't the memory he wanted to create but he saw this as the only way to explain himself. He held out the jewelry box and opened it up to reveal to her the reason he dove into the lake.

As soon as she saw the diamond earring, Rainbow's head jerked forward and her jaw dropped open. Her dinner plate sized eyes constantly shifted from the earring to her boyfriend. Her lips quivered as a small smile formed on her face and tears fell from her eyes.

"...you idiot." Rainbow threw her hooves around him as she nuzzled him. "Of course I'll marry you, I love you."

"I love you too," Thunderlane whispered. This may not have been how he wanted to propose to her, yet he couldn't be happier with the outcome. Looking back at it, he realized that this would actually be a much more interesting story to tell than the sappy proposal he had planned.

While she was still snuggled up close to him, Thunderlane placed the earring on her ear and then he started to row again. Fortunately, it only took them five minutes to get back to the place where he had originally tethered the canoe and he fastened it there again.

After getting out of the canoe, they both shook themselves again to get any remaining cold water off of them. Now that her wings were dry, Rainbow was about to take to the air but she suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground as she let out a surprised gasp. She found herself nestled in her fiance's forehooves as he hovered in the air.

"I just want to practice a bit for when I have to carry you over the threshold," Thunderlane explained with a sheepish grin. Rainbow gave him a playful smirk and a raised eyebrow but she eventually rested her head against his chest and wrapped her forehooves around his neck. She closed her eyes so she could get even more enjoyment from this tender moment as her fiance flew her back to their campsite.

"Maybe we could come back here for our honeymoon," Rainbow said with a mischievous chuckle. She opened her eyes just so she could see uneasy grin she knew he'd have.

"Yeah, or maybe we we could go someplace where we don't have to start a fire or there's no dangerous animals around, like a beach."

"What about sharks?" she countered.

"Not all beaches have sharks in their oceans. Beside, after dropping that earring into the lake and having to dive in after it, I'm in no hurry to return to any body of water." The engaged couple shared a hearty laugh over that joke.

"All right, I'll give the beach some thought, though we have plenty of time to decide where to go," Rainbow said as they arrived back at the campsite.

Thunderlane flew into their tent, while still holding his beloved in his hooves. He made sure to lay her down gently on their sleeping bag, but she still had her hooves wrapped around his neck so she brought him down with her. The young couple stared at each other for a moment with lovesick smiles until their lips finally made contact. It was at that moment that the tent fell apart but it did not deter the betrothed pegasi who continued to passionately make out even as the sheet covered them.

"Looks like you forgot to tie the rope tight enough around the stake," she said after they finally separated.

"I guess I really am an idiot, huh?" Even though he was joking about it, Thunderlane was still embarrassed that he still couldn't set up the tent properly.

"Yeah, but you're my idiot, and I wouldn't have you any other way."


End file.
